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About the Book

Book: Texas Holiday Hideout

Author: Virginia Vaughan

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 1, 2020

Texas Holiday Hideout Cover When her identity’s exposed,

hiding on a lawman’s family ranch is her last hope.

After her mother is killed, Melissa Morgan’s shocked to learn she’s spent her life in witness protection. Now it’s US marshal Miles Avery’s job to keep her and her little boy safe. And with a mole in his agency, the only way to evade the killer is to hide Melissa on Miles’s family ranch…and pretend she’s his wife for the holidays.

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MY REVIEW

I love books that are intriguing, adventurous and weaves faith in the story like this book does. The author is very gifted in giving readers an edge of a seat story filled with surprises and characters that are relatable. What would you do if you suddenly found out your life growing up was a lie? Melissa is shocked to learn that her mother had been in the witness protection program and raised her all these years without even once telling her the truth.

Melissa is a very easy to like character with her faith and love for her child. I was shocked at what she witnessed and knew from that moment her life and her son’s was in danger. The author does a great job of allowing Melissa to work through her trust issues. It is hard for Melissa to believe anything she is being told as the Marshall’s whisk her off to a safe place.

Miles is a man with many secrets. It is not because he doesn’t like to share anything, but because his job as a Marshall has him in charge of witnesses who are in immediate danger. I thought is was interesting that he could keep his job a secret from his family. I loved his family and how close knit they are. They welcomed Melissa and her son into their home with open arms. Well it could be because they think Melissa is Miles’s wife.

The secrets, lies and deceit start adding up and everywhere Melissa turns, she feels less secure. I liked how Miles put his life on the line and slowly started to treat Melissa and her son more than just a job. The story is very well written with a good flow and kept me interested till the very end. I couldn’t wait to find out who the mole was and how they were able to continually track Melissa. The author does give a very subtle hint that I totally missed. I can’t say what it is, but I was so angry at myself for not figuring out how Melissa could never keep the people hunting her away.

If you have never read this author, I will say that you are doing an injustice to yourself. I love how she is able to write intrigue with a hint of romance without missing a beat. Make sure you read the author notes on this blog where she gives details about the Witness Protection Program. I learned so much from her research and now have a better understanding of the program.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

virginia-vaughan-HR-2 Virginia Vaughan is a multi-published author of inspirational romantic suspense. Blessed to come from a large, southern family, her fondest memories include listening to stories recounted by family and friends around the large dinner table. She was a lover of books even from a young age, devouring gothic romance novels and stories of romance, danger, and love. She soon started writing them herself. A former investigator for the State of Mississippi, Virginia utilizes her criminal justice background with her love of writing to transform words into powerful stories of romance and danger.

More from Virginia

What if one day you discovered you were in the Witness Protection Program and didn’t know it?

This is the premise for my October book, TEXAS HOLIDAY HIDEOUT, which releases this month. My heroine, Melissa Morgan, learns she and her mother entered the program when Melissa was a child. Her mother never told her and, when Melissa witnesses her mother being murdered, she becomes the assassin’s next target. US Marshal Miles Avery steps in to protect the single mom and her son from a killer, but a leak in WITSEC leaves him with little options except to take his witnesses to his family’s ranch…and pretend she’s his wife for the holidays.

So, in celebration of TEXAS HOLIDAY HIDEOUT releasing this month, here are 10 things about the Witness Protection Security Program (or WITSEC) I learned during my research for this book.

The program is voluntary. No one can be forced to enter.
You can leave the program at any time—although it is not recommended.
No person in the program, who follows the rules, has ever been killed.
People entering WITSEC sometimes keep their same first name and/or initials so that if they mess up and start to sign their name, they have time to correct.
Since WITSEC is a federal program, many states have their own programs to protect witnesses of gang or street-level crimes.
If you get married while in WITSEC, you must lie to your new spouse to protect your true identity in the event the relationship doesn’t last.
Protected witnesses are mostly criminals. Only about 5% are innocents despite the popular trope in movies and fiction.
Local law enforcement may or may not be notified when a protected witness is relocated to their jurisdiction.
Divorced, non-custodial parents have had their children hidden from them and now must agree to allow their children to enter the program.
WITSEC protected witnesses are expected to eventually become self-sufficient. They do not get to live off the government for the rest of their lives.

Did any of these facts about WITSEC surprise you? I’d love to hear which ones. I had a lot of fun researching WITSEC for TEXAS HOLIDAY HIDEOUT. I hope you enjoy Miles and Melissa’s story! Look out for the next book in the series—middle brother Navy SEAL Paul Avery’s story—coming in TEXAS TARGET STANDOFF in March of 2021.